The Boch Center announces two trusted members of its senior management team will serve as interim co-CEOs following the retirement of Josiah Spaulding, Jr.
Boston—The Boch Center today announced that two trusted members of its senior management team, with a combined 80+ years of high-level experience in diverse professional settings, will serve as interim co-CEOs following the May 31st retirement of Josiah Spaulding, Jr. Spaulding— who as President & CEO transformed a failing theater in Boston’s Combat Zone into one of the most successful non-profit performing arts centers in the United States— leaves the Boch Center after thirty-eight years.
As interim leaders, Michael Szczepkowski, the Center’s Vice President and General Manager, and Chief Financial Officer John Perkins will direct staff and oversee every aspect of the Center, from programming, finances, and operations to education, and community engagement. A search for a permanent CEO began in November of 2023 and is expected to conclude by the fall.
According to board chair Mark Weld, Szczepkowski and Perkins have the full support of the board, the Center’s staff, benefactors, and community partners.
“Michael and John bring tremendous skills, a commitment to our vision and priorities, and a wealth of institutional knowledge to their new roles. We appreciate their willingness to take the helm of this storied place during the coming weeks and months as we transition to new leadership,” said Weld. “The Boch Center remains in very good hands.”
Michael Szczepkowski has been associated with the Boch Center for almost 30 years. He joined the Boch Center in 1996, serving as General Manager, Booking and Programming Manager and Theatre Manager. He was named Vice President & General Manager in 2007. In this position, Szczepkowski directs the Center’s day-to-day operations, manages all theatre events, assists with rentals and theatrical bookings, oversees the box office, group sales and sponsorships, as well as facilities, security, capital projects, and labor management. Prior to his arrival at the Boch Center, he spent a decade at the University of Hartford initially as technical Director and subsequently as manager of the Lincoln Theatre, an historic performance space. Szczepkowski is a member of the International Association of Assembly Managers and serves as an Employer Trustee for I.A.T.S.E. Local 11 Pension and Annuity funds.
The Center’s longtime CFO, John Perkins has more than thirty-five years of professional experience in public accounting and commercial and non-profit finance. Since 2011 he has been responsible for the oversight and management of the organization’s finance and human resources departments and, as a key member of the senior management team, has contributed to overall strategic planning. Prior to joining the Boch Center, Perkins was Vice-President and Corporate Controller
at RISO, Inc., a multi-national distributor of commercial printing equipment and supplies. As a member of RISO’s executive management team, he was responsible for all financial and tax reporting of the US parent company and its foreign subsidiaries in Canada and throughout Latin America. A Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Global Management Accountant, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from Bentley University and a Master of Science in Taxation from Suffolk University.
“As one of the premier performing arts centers in the United States, the search for our new President & CEO has attracted a diverse and creative group of arts executives from around the globe,” said Weld. “Given our history of innovation and impact we are seeking an experienced and collaborative leader who can inspire our staff, generate support, engage audiences, build new partnerships, and guide the Boch Center well into the future,” said Weld.